Carpet-stretcher



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Patented Jan. 9, 1894.

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nUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON LIVINGSTON, OF HOOSIOK FALLS, NEW YORK.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,305, dated January 9, 1894. Applieationtiled March 21, 1893. Serial Nn.466,994. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SIMON LIVINGSTON, of Hoosick Falls, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet stretchers; and the object of my invention is to produce a cheap, strong, and simple device which may be conveniently applied to a carpet, and by which the carpet may be quickly and thoroughly stretched While in position upon the floor, to the end that the carpet may be nicely laid.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of part-s, as will be hereinafter described and Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which the igure is a perspective view of the carpet stretcher embodying my invention.

The machine is provided with a suitable supporting frame 10 which is of a generally rectangular shape, but it is contracted at one end, as shown at 11, and this narrower end terminates in a thickened guide plate 12, having a central vertical slot 13 therein in which the shank of the stretcher bar moves, and which therefore acts as a guide for the stretcher bar. At the back end of the frame are claws or teeth 14 which project downward and which are adapted to be driven into the door so as to hold theframe while the operating lever is being moved and the carpet stretched. The opposite sides of the frame are connected by an upwardly curved brace l5,v and from the central portion of this brace extends rearn wardlya second brace 16 which connects with the back end of the frame 10. The brace 16 is slotted longitudinally, as shown at 17, and on each side of the slotand on the under side of the brace are elongated lugs 18 between whichis fulcrumed the operating lever 19, this lever being arranged to swing in the slot 17 and having at its upper end a suitable handle 20. The lower end of the lever 19 is pivotally connected, as shown at 21, with the shank 22 of the claw bar 23, which is movable in relation to the frame 10 and has on its under side a plurality of teeth 24 to engage a carpet. The shank 22 is held to slide in the slot 13 and the plate 12 serves to guide the shank and prevent any lateral movement. It will be seen that when the lever is thrown back at its upper end into the position indicated by dotted lines in the drawing, the lower end of the lever will be pulled ahead, thus moving the claw bar 23 and causing the latter to stretch the carpet with which it is engaged. On the pivot 25 of the lever 19 is secured a ratchet wheel 26 which is engaged by a pawl 27, and the latter prevents the claw bar from being pulled back bythe tension of the carpet.

When the carpet stretcher is to be used, the pawl 27 is tipped back, the handle 2O thrown into the position shown by full lines in the drawing, the claws 14 fastened to the door, and the teeth of the claw bar 23 placed in engagement with the carpet, the opposite side of which has previously been fastened. The pawl 27 is then thrown back against the ratchet wheel and the lever 2O thrown into the position shown by dotted lines in the drawing, thuspulling upon the claw bar and stretching the carpet which may be fastened by tacks or other suitable means while the stretcher is applied to a new place on the carpet.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A carpet stretcher consisting irrthe horizontal open frame having a vertical slot in its inner cross bar, a transverse arch connecting its sides and a curved slotted bar extending from said arch to the outer cross bar, the latter being provided with depending teeth, a lever pivoted near its lower end in the slotted bar and having a ratchet wheel secured to its axis, a pawl on the slotted bar engaging said ratchet, and a T-shape stretcher bar, the shank of which extends through said vertical slot and pivoted to the lower end of the lever, the transverse head of the said bar being provided with teeth to engage the carpet, substantially as set forth.

SIMON LIVINGSTON.

Witnesses:

MARY J. RICHMOND, THOMAS MANsFIELD. 

